unwrapped, art for christmas

a short while back i was invited to contribute some small art for a christmas exhibition.

so, i made these, especially… diminutive free-standing square abstracts on canvas, which will be in the 2011 christmas art exhibition at the harleston gallery.

last year’s bumper christmas show was a great success, despite the hard times, perhaps because it was a welcoming, dynamic & eclectic mix of mostly small art without the usual detached sparseness of most art exhibitions (much as i like minimalism). there is also a communal spirit among local artists and it feels like a collaborative celebration of our efforts – and to exhibit work with artists who have become friends is always nice.

below are a few more pictures of the very small square abstracts. i enjoyed creating these small abstracts, a return to a minimalist-style interaction of colours, stripes and textures – even though i am now pursuing more naturalistic elements in my current work.

i have painted the sides & edges of the canvas white which gives the illusion of a frame, in contrast to the ‘wrap-a-round-the-sides‘ method i previously utilised in the icons series of small abstracts. so, i’m affectionately calling these small abstracts unwrapped art for christmas. the paintings measure about 11cm x 11cm, (they are now at the gallery, ready for the opening of the exhibition later in the week)…

i would describe these striated colours as parchment, copper, darkest blue-black, light bark brown & mustard yellow ochre, which are framed by the matte white edges of the block canvas…

this could be an abstract landscape, it could be something else, it’s the relationship of colours that i like (which do arise out of the landscape) but i often change my mind which way they should stand – but i think that’s ok…

and yes, this small canvas does have a title….

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on this second canvas, there are textured striations of a dark walnut brown-black, pale sand-stone, dark red & orange. below are the two small canvases pictured side by side, once again. i wish i had more time to make more mini-art…

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i think artists can be forgiven for partaking in the seasonal spirit of showing & selling at christmas art exhibitions. art will always make a unique & lasting gift, it obviously supports artists in what they do but it also benefits independent, local businesses in the process. so, art is for always really, not just for christmas.

i also have some work in the christmas exhibition at the reunion gallery (details below). it seems that mixed or group exhibitions ebb and flow with the seasons, with christmas often the busiest time…

christmas show, 1 – 24 december 2011, harleston gallery, norfolk

a touch of frost, to 24 december 2011, reunion gallery, felixstowe, suffolk